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Post by Jazmin on Nov 6, 2010 23:36:43 GMT -5
Jazmin was slowly pulling on her heels as he talked about escorting her, not having any desire to have the damned things on. But when he dropped to the ground, she hurried to his side.
"Hey," she said worriedly, placing a hand on his back and rubbing in gentle circles. She knew what this was. It was a random breakdown. Jazmin's mother would have them when she remembered Jazmin's daddy, "Teddy, it's okay. What's wrong?"
Usually that would come out as "Hey, Mama, it's alright," but that was just dealing with what she knew. She had no idea why Teddy just collapsed. She could tell something was wrong when he had held out his hand. He had that look that her mom would get when she wasn't really there. It was like their body became just a shell in motion while their spirits were dancing in the past, fox trotting with someone they've missed.
Her mother had always said how much of a dancer her father was. He could twirl her an dip her and do almost every move. He just couldn't get out of the way in time to miss that knife.
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Post by Teddy<3 on Nov 6, 2010 23:55:56 GMT -5
Teddy sniffed, the tears already slowing. "I-It's my brother. I just remembered him and some of the things we used to do. He died. Suicide." Teddy said, lifting his tear stained face to Jaz. He gave her a small smile.
"Thanks." he said softly, struggling, but managing to push Tanner out of his head. The haze in his mind cleared, and he could actually look at Jazmin without having to see his older brother too.
Standing up and brushing off his jeans, he lifted one corner of his mouth, over the brief meltdown, trying to melt the girl with his award-winning smile. It always broke a girl's heart in the end. Which is something he should probably tell Jaz. If they were to even be friends, she might want to know.
"Um, Jaz. There's something about me you may wanna know. The reason I'm single, is I somehow always end up breaking a heart in a relationship. Tanner had the same problem." he told her, smiling sheepishly. Now he sort of regretted saying it. He had used a bad word, relationship. She might think he was asking her out, and honestly he wasn't too sure if he was. Yes, he was flirting with her, but that's a whole different story. Flirting is just the simple act of testing out a potential partner, and seeing if they seem interested.
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Post by Jazmin on Nov 7, 2010 0:51:30 GMT -5
Jazmin blinked in amazement at his recovery. She figured that bringing up the subject would send him into another meltdown, so she decided not to say anthing about this Tanner boy.
Jazmin couldn't help but realize that her mother would still be crying, still dancing with her husband in the spirit world. She would sometimes stand up when she thought Jazmin wasn't around, and begin to dance around the room, showing her years of talent. Jazmin would never interrupt. In fact, she would rather her mother always continue, but every wonderful dance would have to end.
She smiled up at Teddy. "You say that like I'll hate you," she said, standing up. "I'm no good with relationships either. You would think that I would have a boyfriend, but they come and go." She shrugged. "They drop out when they realize I'm not gonna sleep with them after a week."
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Post by Teddy<3 on Nov 7, 2010 1:12:48 GMT -5
Teddy laughed. "Darn," he said jokingly, running a hand through his hair, giving her that same smile. "[/b]No point in asking you out then.[/b]" Then he gave her a mock serious look. "And come on, the girls say I'm really good in bed." he added, wiggling his eyebrows.
He grabbed her hand and bowed. "May I take you to the mall?" he asked, struggling not to laugh. He knew his eyes were dancing and he was beaming, all he was missing was the sound of laughter. Oh well, it was nice attempt.
He almost couldn't believe he was liked. He had just noticed how nerdy he was! And his pickup lines were horrible. He was actually a virgin, but there was no way he was going to tell Jaz that. It was humiliating. Oh, he'd gotten close. Naked and everything. But something had ways happened or interfered. Tanner. He always walked in right as Teddy and the girl were ready. And Teddy knew why. His brother was protecting him. And once Tanner died, Teddy hadn't really gotten out much. He hadn't even thought about girls until running into Jaz.
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Post by Jazmin on Nov 7, 2010 1:58:38 GMT -5
Jaz tipped her head to the side and let out a loud laugh. "Well, I'll be the judge of that," she said, winking at him. "And if you're actually a virgin, I get to hit you." She said the last bit with a wag of her finger, tipping her chin up cockily.
Laughing again, she slid her hand into his and bowed curtsy, trying to take on a tone of seriousness. "Why, yes, you may," she said royally, just before laughing.
Jaz hadn't felt so relaxed in days. This boy was certainly something else. In one sweep, he had gone from cunning and lethal, to cocky and humorous.
Quite the switch, she thought, picking at her index finger's nail with her teeth.
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Post by Teddy<3 on Nov 7, 2010 11:12:12 GMT -5
Teddy laughed. "Trust me, I won't disappoint you." he said, pulling her down the alley. He moved with some speed, but took pity on Jaz and her heels. He preferred using a route built on alleys, finding them safer. So he would check an alley before ducking into it. He soon found an alley he was used to, one of the many on his path to the mall. His free hand reached into his pocket, fingering the cool metal pocket knife. He hated traveling around town, but it couldn't be helped.
"So why are you going to the mall?" he asked, not looking back at Jaz. His eyes were focused on the streets and shadows, watching for something or someone. He wouldn't be caught off guard, not again.
Teddy shivered a little as the memory came back to him. It was the day before Tanner died. The brothers had been walking to the mall, needing groceries. While they were walking, a Drip had stopped them. They didn't know why he was trying to take them both on, by himself, but they didn't care. They tried to run away, but the Drip ended up having a buddy at the end of the alley.
Teddy stared in fear at the second Drip blocking his path. He felt his clenched fists tremble and he crammed them in his pocket, not wanting to show his fear. He glanced quickly at his old brother. Tanner gave him a small, reassuring smile. He reached into his back pocket, pulling put a switchblade. Teddy gaped at the weapon, how had his brother gotten that?
Tanner walked toward the Drip closer to them, a weird smile on his face. The Drip was immediately on him, attempting to get his knife in. Tanner was too fast though, he managed to maneuver out of the Drip's grip and stuck his knife in the first spot he could reach. His head. The other Drip didn't hesitate before retreating, knowing he would have issues with two.
That was the day Teddy saw his brother kill someone, the day before he ended his own life. With a switchblade to the head.
Teddy blinked rapidly, quickly clearing the tears that had welled in his eyes. He remembered that day so clearly, and had remembered his brother warning him to run if he ever saw a Drip. Both brothers had a heavy toll on their heads, they killed a Drip and left a witness.
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Post by Jazmin on Nov 7, 2010 15:18:16 GMT -5
Jazmin didn't mind his quick-set pace, just as long as she wasn't running. Running was far too painful in heels.
"Well, my mama doesn't get out much anymore," she said, "and I usually stay around the house for her nowadays. But she says I should go and have some fine fun, so I was going to go and hang out at the mall for the first time this week." She smiled sadly. She just knew her mother wanted time to dance with her husband.
Jazmin glanced at Teddy, noticing how he was dancing as well. His eyes had that far away look to them.
"Hey, Teddy, you seem distracted," she said, moving her wrist from his grasp and taking his hand properly. "Are you always like this?"
Before the boy could even answer, a hooded figure slithered from the shadows of an alley. His large hood cast a dark shadow over his face, so only his nose to his chin were visible. He seemed to be heading somewhere, but when he noticed that Teddy and Jazmin saw him, a long switchblade was quickly pulled from his sweatshirt pocket.
"Oh, my God," Jaz breathed, "t-that's a Drip." She could tell from the way he held himself, slumped, yet proud. He seemed young, maybe seventeen or eighteen. Down his right cheek was a long scar that made him seem like he was already twenty-five.
With an annoyed grunt, the Drip turned on his heel, ducking low to the ground, and shot forward, holding his blade with the skill of a senior Drip. He had obviously been in the gang long enough to master their wielding skill. He was charging straight on at Teddy.
Jazmin let out a terrified scream as the Drip veered to the side, nearly coming at her. But he cut like a professional horse, steering to the side, pushing his weight into the boy. With a loud whump, the Drip had Teddy pinned to a wall, his arm just under Teddy's chin, pressing against his throat. He flexed his arm, his blade glistening in the light.
He swung his arm outwards, behind him, readying to gut his prey.
Jazmin lunged forward, pressing her hands to his shoulder, and shoved him away. His blade missed its target, and just barely scraped Teddy's jacket. He stumbled to the side, not making a single sound, and quickly recovered by sinking his blade into one of the cracks in the sidewalk, stopping himself.
Ripping the blade from the cement, the Drip wiped the precious metal slab off on his pants, cleaning off some dust, and pointed it at Teddy as an invitation to fight him.
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Post by Teddy<3 on Nov 7, 2010 17:17:52 GMT -5
Teddy watched wide-eyed as Jaz pushed away the drip. His face became a blank slate. His jaw set, eyes cold, he eyes the Drip. As he saw it, he had two choices. Stay and fight, or run. Teddy laughed harshly aloud, thinking he had two choices. His only option was to run.
Remembering Jaz, he snapped at her, hoping she'd do as he said without trying to act like a hero and stay. "Run, Jaz!"
Then, narrowing his eyes and trying to seem brave, he pulled out his own knife. He had no intentions of fighting, but he needed some defense. He stared at the Drip's chest, poising as though he was going to try stabbing him. Instead he kicked out his foot, nailing the kid in the groin.
Moving in one motion, he back pedaled a few feet away, ran to Jaz, grabbed her wrist, and began to run. His feet slapped against the pavement and he was panting, but he turned sharply, running into a new alley. He didn't look behind him to see if the Drip was after them, he just kept running. His only destination in mind was the closest place to him, his house.
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Post by Jazmin on Nov 7, 2010 17:52:01 GMT -5
Jaz hurriedly bent down at Teddy's order, and pulled off her heels, picking them up. She backed up slowly, then turned and began to run.
She had to look over her shoulder at the Drip's horrid cry of pain. He fell to the ground with his hands between his legs, his teeth bared. Jazmin was half-tempted to laugh, but decided she better not. Allowing Teddy to grab her wrist, Jaz ran much faster this way, without shoes. Her black socks struck the pavement quietly, unlike Teddy's.
From behind them, there was a loud shot. A bullet grazed over Jazmin's shoulder, and she let out a loud yelp of pain. She looked over her shoulder to see that the Drip had stood, using a wall for support, and was holding out a revolver pistol. His hands were unsteady, trembling.
"How many bullets does a revolver hold?" Jazmin asked in a panic. "Five? Six?" She had never really gotten into guns, and had no idea.
Suddenly, another bullet whisked by. It didn't hit anything, but it was enough to make Jazmin jump. Looking over her shoulder again, she watched the gun lower slowly, and the Drip watched them run for a second. Then he quickly vanished into the shadows.
Jazmin didn't bother to tell Teddy they were safe. She knew that just because he was out of sight, didn't mean he was out of shooting range.
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Post by Teddy<3 on Nov 7, 2010 18:09:52 GMT -5
Teddy winced at the two shots from the gun. He didn't bother to answer Jaz, saving his breath for the rest of the run. He turned quickly, coming out of another alley in his neighborhood. The ghetto. He slowed a little, knowing he shouldn't run in this part of town. He didn't need any attention on him or Jaz. Forcing his feet to slow to a walk, his hand slid down from her wrist to her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
"We should be safe here." he whispered, relaxin only slightly when he saw his house up ahead. He smiled slightly when he saw his dad wasn't home yet. "We barely have gang trouble around here. The worst is a few crazy kids doing a drive-by. That's normally later at night though."
He quickened his pace until he was trotting, quickly closing the small space between him and his house. He climbed the old stairs, taking a key from his pant's pocket. Unlocking the old wooden door, he pushed it open, waving Jaz in. Following her, he closed and locked the door behind him.
Staring at the dirty interior, Teddy felt. His face heat. All that filled the small living room was an old TV, a broken love-seat couch, a coffee table, and a wooden rocking chair. Scattered all around were dirty dishes and trash, empty beer bottles laying on the table. He wished he would have taken Jaz somewhere else. He doubted she lived in a house like this.
"Um, make yourself at home." Teddy muttered, perching on the corner of the couch.
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Post by Jazmin on Nov 13, 2010 10:06:51 GMT -5
Jaz walked close to Teddy's side until they reached his house, taking glances over her shoulder despite his reassuring words. He couldn't be so sure if that Drip had decided to turn around and come after them. But, he didn't, and Jazmin slid into Teddy's house with a soft sigh of relief.
She smiled at him, taking note of his expanding blush. "Don't mind if I do," she said. Sitting on the couch beside him, she flipped her hair back from her eyes and looked around.
"Your mama doesn't do much cleaning, does she?" she asked with her nose crinkled. But then she smiled. "Mine doesn't either. I do the cleaning around the place."
Leaning over, Jaz slipped her feet back into her heels. She felt better to have them on, feeling the hard support against the arch of her feet. They were a pain, but they were her favorite shoes. She just felt better when she had them on.
Sitting up once more, Jazmin flipped her long hair back again, flicking her bangs into the correct spot just to the side of her eye. She liked them in her face, but not covering her vision.
"So, where are your parents at? Work?" Jazmin's mother worked occasionally, but nowadays her depression had effected her work performance, and they were giving her a break until she got everything together. In other words, she was basically fired, but they would still send her a check.
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Post by Teddy<3 on Dec 5, 2010 13:19:12 GMT -5
Teddy dipped his head, refusing to meet Jaz's gaze. His dad was at the bar. His mom was gone. She'd been gone a long time. Shed given birth to Teddy, after Tanner, and told her father she just couldn't take this life anymore. So she left. She left her young sons in the hands of a lazy-ass bum who couldn't even hold a job.
"Uh, yeah. Work." Teddy answered, lifting his head and looking at her, but not at her. His eyes were on hers, but his focus was on the wall behind her.
Then he remembered her remark about his house and his mother. He sighed. "No, she doesn't do the cleaning. That duty falls upon me. But I haven't really had a chance lately." he answered, making a mental note to get around to it. He really needed to do laundry. And pay the bills...with the money he was going to use for groceries. He would need to find a job soon.
Then he finally focused on Jaz. He gave her a small, forced smile. "Are you alright?" he asked, realizing she could have gotten scraped up. He mainly asked to change the subject. He didn't like discussing his life of poverty.
Briefly he knocked down the walls he had put up, his big brown eyes revealing the pain he felt. But just as quickly it was gone. He just wanted her to know that he didn't wish to discuss his life further.
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Post by Jazmin on Dec 5, 2010 16:18:19 GMT -5
Jazmin nodded slowly to Teddy. He seemed so uncomfortable talking about his family. She found it best not to pressure him.
"Me? Jazmin quickly looked herself over. Her shoulder was scraped from when tje Drip had shot at them, but otber than that, she was just scraped from being on the alley ground. "Just my shoulder is bleeding from that bullet, and I.ve had better days, but I'm okay. What about you? Did that Drip get at you? Her emerald eyes scanned Teddy's body. She wasn't sure if he had gotten hurt or not.
Sorry so short. Posted with my dad's phone.
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Post by Teddy<3 on Dec 5, 2010 16:33:54 GMT -5
Teddy just laughed. "I'm fine. He barely touched me." Teddy said, not bothering to check. If there was no bad bleeding and he couldn't feel any pain, he wasn't hurt. But he cast his worried glance to Jaz's shoulder. It wasn't bleeding badly, but it was still something that would be better off taken care of right away. If only to clean up the little bit of blood.
"Stay here." Teddy told her, already starting toward the bathroom. He didn't wait for her to question him or object, just opened the door to the only clean room in the house.
He pulled a washcloth out of one of the drawers and put it in the sink. He turned on the water to an average temperature and let the water absorb into the cloth. Then he turned off the faucet, wrung out the piece of fabric, and hurried back to the family room.
"Here," he said, handing her the damp cloth after a brief mental debate of whether to clean it himself.
Then Teddy sat down on the love seat, glancing at Jaz. He silently thanked her for not carrying on about his family. Or his house. Or his life. It was something he'd rather not discuss, especially to Jaz. He tried not to, but discussing his life embarrassed him. He lived in a shitty house, in a shitty neighborhood, with a shitty dad. It was something people like Jaz probably wouldn't like hearing.
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Post by Jazmin on Dec 18, 2010 14:52:41 GMT -5
Jazmin watched Teddy walk away, not bothering to stop him. She had learned that boys usually don't listen. She had stopped trying long ago.
He's not telling me something, Jaz thought to herself. He seemed too uncomfortable. But before her thoughts could carry on, Teddy was back, holding out a warm washcloth.
Jazmin smiled and took it, placing it against her shoulder. "Thanks," she said, wincing slightly at the pain that pressure caused. "So, hey," she said to distract herself, "you don't seem like you feelin' the best. Something on your chest?"
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